uon^piiments or 

fe T.T. ALEXANDER, 



U., 



THE BATTLE 



OF 




AS VIEWED FROM THE BATTLEFIELD IN 1877. 



T. T. ALEXANDER, 



ST. PAUL: 
H. M. SMYTH PRINTING CO. 

188G. 



It may serve better to illustrate our subject to give a 
brief description of the country and the relative situation 
of some of the principal points near to which these events 
transpired. 

Belgium is situated between France and Holland. Its 
territory is about one-eighth that of Great Britain. The 
important position the country has occupied in the 
political and military history of Europe gives it a peculiar 
interest. It has undergone many changes of government 
and rulers. Its people have been celebrated for their 
courage and warlike proclivities. In 1477 Belgium passed 
under the rule of Austria and subsequently descended 
to Charles V., king of Spain, and was finally incorporated 
with the French Republic. By the Congress of Vienna 
the provinces of Belgium were annexed to those of Hol- 
land, to form the kingdom of the Netherlands, and thus 
existed until it became an independent nation. Belgium 
has been often the scene on which the surrounding nations 
have settled their quarrels, and has long been styled the 
"cockpit" of Europe. In the history of no other country 



do we find such unbounded liberty, with such an invincible 
disposition to abuse it. 

Brussels, its capital, is situated near the River Severn, 
about fifty miles from the sea and twelve from Waterloo. 
Charleroi, the first Belgian fortress on the line of defense 
towards France, was destroyed by the French in T795, but 
restored by Wellington in 1815. Namur is a manufactur- 
ing city and has been dubbed "the Sheffield of Belgium." 
Liege is at the junction of the Outhe and Meuse, and. 
though very much less in size, somewhat resembles the 
City of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The City of Ghent 
contains a population of two hundred thousand people, 
at least one-half of whom are engaged in industrial arts. 
Here was the birth-place of John of Gaunt and of Charles V. 
of Germany; and here the treaty of peace between the 
United States and Great Britain was concluded in 1814. 
Antwerp, the commercial capital of Belgium, was made 
by the Emperor one of his grand nayal arsenals, who spent 
enormous sums on the construction of its docks and other 
works. It was here that Joan of Arc was taken prisoner 
and delivered over to the English. Other localities and 
places will be sufficiently described in the narrative of 
succeeding events. 

A yet clearer comprehension of the salient features of 
this lecture, may be gained by a brief summary of the 
events and circumstances leading up to, immediately pre- 
ceding and forming parts of the subject under consider- 
ation. 

The disastrous termination of Napoleon's Russian 
campaign caused him, on the 6th of April, 1814, to 
abdicate the throne of France, and seek refuge in a 
foreign land. Soon thereafter the French throne went 
back into the hands of the Bourbons, with Louis XVIIL 
as king. Either out of respect for an old warrior, or to 
make a parade of their generosit)^, the Allies permitted 



Napoleon to select Elba as the place of his retreat. Upon 
the accession again of Louis to the French throne, he 
found a chaotic state of public affairs, that would have 
confused and bewildered a much wiser ruler than he was. 
As a means of quieting the public mind and restoring 
order, he granted a charter or compact, that deprived him 
of some of his prerogatives, but it seemed to have satis- 
fied neither of the parties into which France was then 
divided. 

This state of affairs, not unknown to Napoleon, 
inspired him with the desire of again returning thither, 
and seeking to regain his former seat of power. Favored 
by the absence of the English compriissioner, and the fleet 
stationed to watch the Isle of Elba, Napoleon in a small 
flotilla set sail, and on the first of March, 1815, landed at 
Cannes on the coast of France. He saluted his native 
country "as the parent of heroism and the home of genius. " 
His reception exceeded his most sanguine hopes. He 
met the first troops sent out to oppose him by advancing 
to their front and laying bare his breast to receive their 
fire; but instead of firing on him they joined his ranks, 
and rallied under his banner. He was welcomed by his 
old soldiers in such numbers as soon to swell their ranks to 
thousands, all of whom received him with the wildest 
enthusiasm. Included in their numbers was Marshal Ney 
and the large body of troops under his command. Thus 
received and honored, the exiled Monarch marched tri- 
umphantly to Paris, and re-entered the Tuilleries on the 
twentieth of March, 1815. 

The Bourbons, in the meanwhile, had evacuated Paris 
and made their escape into Belgium. It will be seen 
that a revolution was thus completely accomplished in 
twenty days, without shedding a drop of blood, and 
Napoleon re-ascended the throne from whence he had 
been driven the previous year. He immediately com- 



menced the reorganization of the government, so as to 
make it conform to the new order of things, and thus 
re-establish his authority and power over the French 
people. 

Accordingly a new ministry was formed, in which he 
transferred the Department of War to Marshal Davoust; 
to Fouche. who is charged with "hedging" on all subjects, 
was committed the important office of Minister of Police; 
the Foreign Office was given to Talleyrand; and other 
important positions were conferred upon his old adherents 
and officers. 

The return of Napoleon to Paris produced great con- 
sternation among those of the allied powers who had 
contributed to his overthrow the year before, and soon 
thereafter a congress of nations was held and a coalition 
formed to check the growing influence and power of their 
former rival; so that by the last of March the great powers 
of Western Europe had formed a treaty of alliance, offensive 
and defensive, against the re-enthroned exile from the Isle 
of Elba. 

Under these circumstances, the Emperor saw no choice 
but to flee the country and recall Louis XVIII. to power, 
or to fight. He chose the latter alternative, and pro- 
ceeded, with his accustomed vigor, at once to organize 
and equip the army anew. Under what he was pleased 
to call a "constitutional monarchy," (more in name than 
in substance,) he prepared to resist the formidable coali- 
tion of kings and rulers that compassed his second over- 
throw. 

The military preparations extended as well to the 
defense of Paris and Lyons, as the frontier defenses 
towards the Rhine and the Meuse. The preparations of 
the Allies were on no less a scale, until, it was said, a 
million of men were ready to fall upon France. 

Napoleon had only two courses to pursue; the one to 



march against the Anglo-Prussians at Brussels or Namur; 
the other to await an attack at Paris. The former course 
was adopted, because it removed the theatre of war from 
French territory to that occupied by his enemies. After 
disposing of part of his forces to secure other important 
points, the Emperor only had 120,000 men, with which to 
attack the forces under Wellington and Blucher. The 
plan of operations was to try and assail Wellington and 
Blucher separately before the other forces of the Allies 
could come to their relief. 

Napoleon left Paris on the twelfth of June. The organ- 
ization of the army was much modified. The commands 
of corps d'armes were given to younger generals. Ney 
and Grouchy were to command the different wings of the 
principal army. To appreciate the nature of the plan of 
attack, it must be remembered that it was not to attack a 
single army, but two, having separate and divergent bases 
of operations — that of the English on Ostend or Antwerp; 
that of the Prussians on the Rhine and Cologne; thus 
preventing the opportunities for a central operation by 
which the allies could be kept divided and fought sepa- 
rately. 

The plan and commencement of this campaign forms 
one of the most remarkable operations in the life of 
Napoleon. The movements of the troops were arranged 
with so much precission, that 120,000 men from far 
distant locations found themselves assembled at a given 
rendezvous on the Belgian frontier as if by enchantment. 
Whilst Wellington, who had been given chief command 
of the allied forces, was occupied in giving fetes at 
Brussels, under the supposition that the Emperor was at 
Paris, the latter, at the head of his columns, was near at 
hand and ready for the impending conflict. Lord Byron, 
in Child Harold, has grandly portrayed this scene in 
glowing words of verse and song. 



There was a sound of revelry by night, 

And Belgium's capital had gathered there 
Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright 

The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men; 
A thousand hearts beat happily; and when 

Music arose with its voluptuous swell, 
Soft eyes look'd love to eyes which spake again. 

And all went merry as a marriage-bell; 
But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell! 

Did ye not hear it? No; 'twas but the wind. 

Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. 
On with the dance! let joy be unconfined; 

No sleep till morn when youth and pleasure meet, 
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet — 

But, hark! that heavy sound breaks in once more, 
As if the clouds its echo would repeat; 

And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before! 
Arm! arm! it is — it is — the cannon's opening roar! 

And there was mounting in hot haste: the steed. 

The mustering squadron, and the clattering car. 
Meet pressing forward with impetuous speed. 

And swiftly forming in the ranks of war; 
And the deep thunder peal on peal afar; 

And near, the beat of the alarming drum 
Roused up the soldier 'ere the morning star; 

While throng'd the citizen with terror dumb, 
Or whispering, white lips, "The foe! They come! 
They come!" 

On the morning of the fifteenth of June the French 
troops occupied the following positions: The right, of 
sixteen thousand men, under Gerard, at Phillippeville; the 
center, of about sixty thousand, under the immediate 
direction of the Emperor, were near to his headquarters at 
Beaumont; the left, of forty-five thousand, on and near the 
Sambre. 

The allied armies were not yet assembled. Blucher's 
forces were at Charleroi, Namur, Dinant, Liege and Lux- 
emburg. On learning of the Emperor's approach to the 
Belgian frontier, Blucher immediately ordered the con- 
centration of his forces. Wellington's forces were still in 



their cantonments on the Scheldt, ready, however, to 
move at the first signal. The road running from Charleroi 
to Brussels was the point of junction of the two armies, 
and to this point the operations of the French were 
directed, in order to prevent such junction. There were 
computed to be under Blucher about one hundred and 
eighteen thousand combatants. There were under Wel- 
lington about ninety-nine thousand at Brussels and other 
points in that vicinity. 

On the fourteenth of June, Marshal Bourmont, in com- 
mand of a French corps of troops, had deserted to the 
allies. It has been said that a drummer, who deserted 
from the "old guard," gave Blucher the first information 
of Napoleon's approach. 

Ney took command of the left wing of the army, and 
was ordered to march on the road to Brussels in the 
direction of Quartre Bras. The right wing under Grouchy 
was ordered to look after the Prussian forces under 
Blucher, the center of whose army was near Ligny. Ney 
delayed the execution of his order to march on Quartre 
Bras, and on that account, when he did make an attack 
on that place, was repulsed. Meanwhile the forces under 
Grouchy had achieved a victory at Ligny. Thereupon 
Blucher set about concerting plans for a speedy junction 
with Wellington. Grouchy was sent in pursuit of the 
retreating Prussians. The reserve and left wing advanced 
against the EngHsh at Quartre Bras, which, however, 
were in full retreat on the road to Brussels, covered by 
their cavalry, the French following in close pursuit as far 
as the heights of Planchenois. 

The English manifested an intention to take a stand and 
offer battle in front of the forest of Soignies,— Waterloo. 
This, as before stated, was what Napoleon desired — to 
meet and attack the two armies separately. Blucher had 
been defeated at Ligny and forced to retreat on a line 



diverging from the other army, and a force detached in 
pursuit, thought sufficiently strong, to prevent a junction. 
Grouchy was ordered to occupy the defile of St. Lambert, 
so that if he did not take an active part in the battle, by 
falling on the left of the English, he could in any event 
give them some trouble, and at the same time cover the 
flank of the French army. 

Napoleon's reasons for attacking the English at this 
time and place may best be given in his own words: "The 
army had been harrassed by rains, bad roads, and forced 
marches. Under ordinary circumstances it would have 
been best to allow it some repose and afterwards dislodge 
Wellington by maneuvers. But other armies were about 
to invade France, and my presence would soon be needed 
elsewhere. Moreover, Blucher would soon rally, and 
with reinforcements again attempt to form a junction with 
the right of the Allies; it was therefore necessary to end 
with the English as soon as possible." 

The position of the allied army had great defensive 
advantages. They occupied the slope in front of Mont 
St. Jean, favorable for their fire, and gave them a view of 
the French operations. The right extended to the rear 
of Bram la Leud, with a corps to cover the road from 
Mores to Brussels. The villages of Braim and Merbes, 
the chateaus of Hougomont, La Hair Sainte, La Hair 
and Frichemont, forming advanced bastions, which 
flanked and secured the whole line just on the brink of 
the vast forest of Soignies, with no outlet for a great 
army such as was here assembled. 

The road from Brussels to Waterloo lies through this 
forest. One mile from the latter place is the hamlet of 
Mont St. Jean, and half a mile in front is the farm house 
of the same name on the road to the farm of La Hair 
Sainte in the immediate rear of the British position. On 
the ridge, and the ground behind it, occupied by the 



9 

British, stood a solitary tree, near to which was Welling- 
ton's position in the fight. 

The British lines extended along the ridge to the right 
and left, their extreme right being protected by a ravine. 
In front was a valley, not regularly formed, but with 
numerous windings and hollows, varying in breadth from 
a quarter to half a mile. This was the scene of the prin- 
cipal conflict. 

The opposite ridges, running parallel to Mont St. Jean, 
were occupied by the French. La Hays Sainte, the 
object of the second attack in the middle of the battle, 
was the point near to which was the conflict between the 
Imperial Guards and the British troops that decided the 
fate. of the day. To the right and in the centre of the 
valley is Hougomont, a farm house, the orchard of which 
was surrounded by walls. On the road to Charleroi and 
the ridge exactly opposite the British centre, was La Belle 
Alliance, the position of Napoleon during most of the 
engagement. 

In determining the plan of the attack, the French 
commander thought to maneuver by the left to turn the 
enemy's right. This might cut off" his retreat on that side 
of the forest, and would be attended with some advantages 
to him, but might result in throwing Wellington in the 
direction of Blucher. To attack with the right to crush 
the English right was therefore preferable, but the ground 
was unfavorable, so Napoleon determined to assail the left 
and pierce the center of the allied army, and in execution 
of that purpose the mass of the French forces were 
directed on the center; the extreme left was assailed only 
by the division from the right of Erlon's corps. Ney 
was to conduct the three other divisions to the right of 
La Hair Sainte. The corps of Reille was to support this 
movement. Two divisions were between this road and 



10 

the farm of Hougomont. The division of Prince Jerome 
was to attack this farm, constituting, as it did, the salient 
point of the enemy's lines. Wellington had formed loop- 
holes in the walls of the chateau and garden, and secured 
the enclosure of the park, occupying the whole with the 
English Guards. The Sixth French Corps and a mass of 
cavalry followed as a third and fourth line to the center, 
so as to support Ney's attack; twenty-four battallions of 
the guard and cuirassiers forming the fifth and sixth 
lines, ready to bear upon the decisive point. The plan of 
attack has been regarded as a model by the masters of the 
art of war. 

Napoleon had purposed to begin the attack early in the 
morning, but rain had fallen in torrents during the night 
of the 17th and previous day, which delayed the attack 
until eleven o'clock of the eighteenth of June, when the 
attack commenced with artillery and musketry against the 
farm of Hougomont, which Jerome endeavored to carry. 
A few moments after Ney presented himself at the oppo- 
site extreme of the line. The marshal began a violent 
cannonade against the enemy's left, merely waiting for a 
signal to fall upon it. 

A little after twelve o'clock strong columns were dis- 
covered on the right in the direction of Lasue and St. 
Lambert, supposed to be a detachment of Grouchy's men. 
A detachment of three thousand horse were sent to a 
point where they could either cover Napoleon's flank or 
open a communication with Grouchy. A Prussian hussar, 
with an intercepted letter, announced the approach of 
Bulow with an estimated force of thirty thousand men. 
This information determined Napoleon to hasten the 
attack. Ney at one o'clock made his first onslaught on the 
center, and by a vigorous charge pierced the first line of 
the Belgian brigade, but in turn was suddenly assailed by 



11 

an English division under Picton, who had been placed 
in the second line behind a rise of ground favorable to 
their concealment. 

The combat now became furiou§. The French columns 
under a murderous fire began to waver, and being charged 
by the English cavalry their ranks were broken. While 
these things were taking place against the left and left centre 
of the Allies, Jerome had dislodged the enemy from the 
park of Hougomont; but all efforts were vain against the 
embattled walls and chateau, which was defended by the 
English Guards. 

Wel'lington was waiting for the promised aid of Blucher, 
and sought every means to prolong the contest. For him 
there was no hope of retreat; he must conquer or die. 
Seeing the efforts of the French were towards his centre, 
he called twenty battalions of Belgians and Brunswickers, 
and placed them in reserve behind the right and centre, 
and himself repaired to the defense of Hougomont. At 
this point there was an unsuccessful attempt made on the 
chateau by the division of Jerome to dislodge the enemy, 
which however failed and degenerated into a cannonade 
and skirmishes, without advantage to either side. In this 
interval Ney applied all his energy and force of character 
to repair the check which he had received in his first 
attack, and at four o'clock, after almost superhuman 
efforts, Ney's troops were masters of the two points of 
La Hair Sainte and Papelotte, which gave the French a 
decided superiority and all the chances were now in their 
favor. 

At this moment it was found that Bulow, with the 
fourth corps of the Prussian army, thirty thousand strong, 
debouched from the woods and commenced an attack on 
the fifth corps of the French under Laban, with only 
about twelve thousand six hundred infantry at his dis- 
posal. Bulow advanced until he reached the rear of the 
LofC. 



12' 

French center, and it became all important to arrest his 
further advance. Accordingly, at five o'clock the Young 
Guard with a part of the Old Guard were directed against 
him with the purpose of afterwards falling upon Wellington 
with the united reserve. In the meantime Ney was 
merely to sustain himself in possession of the two points, 
La Hair Sainte and Papelotte. 

Wellington on his side, encouraged by the attack of 
Bulow and reinforced by troops from his extreme right, 
sought to regain possession of the park of Hougomont 
and the farm house of La Hair Sainte, and for this pur- 
pose Hanoverian and English troops were directed to 
these two posts. At this moment Ney sought to get 
possession at all hazards of the plateau Mont St. Jean and 
throw his brave cuirassiers on the centre of the Allies. 
This was a glorious operation most heroically executed; 
but the plateau was crowned, and it became now neces- 
sary to sustain Ney where he was or allow his troops to 
be cut off. At this time, say after six o'clock, the reserves 
of the French cavalry to the number often thousand were 
ordered to advance, and caused great havoc on the 
enemy's lines, and their progress was only checked by the 
infantry of the second line. The combined English, 
Belgian, Hanoverian and Brunswick cavalry now charged 
the French, but the latter rallied again at a short distance 
and in turn drive back the Allies' horse upon their infantry. 
The repeated efforts of this cavalry are glorious beyond 
description, and the impassable perseverence of their 
adversaries is also deserving of the highest praise. Wel- 
lington himself says "that he never saw anything more 
admirable than the ten or twelve reiterated charges of the 
French curassieurs against troops of all arms." 

But disorder now began in the allied army, reaching 
even to Brussels, where the French were momentarily 
expected. Bulow had been driven back by the French, 



13 

and Grouchy's cannon were now heard in the distance 
and victory seemed assured to the French. 

To give the finishing stroke, at half past seven all the 
Guard unite and carry the strong position of Mont St. 
Jean, which was thought would certainly insure the 
balance in their favor. But this illusion was of short 
duration. The French cavalry had hardly rallied its 
victorious squadrons, when Blucher himself with one or 
more of his corps arrived. 

A bold movement was made to change the fortunes of 
the day, led by the Emperor himself, aided by Marshal 
Ney and the brave soldiers of the Old Guard, but these 
herculean efforts proved of no avail. All that part of the 
imperial army that were sent against the Prussians under 
Bulow, broken and pierced by forces double their own 
numbers, took refuge in flight. 

Wellington, seeing that the attack of Blucher was giv- 
ing the decisive blow, collected his best troops, regained 
the park of Hougomont, fell upon the Old Guard with an 
overwhelming superiority and waged an indiscriminate 
warfare upon the disordered and retreating forces of the 
Emperor. The remnant of cuirassiers and the cavalry 
of the Guard do wonders; but all is in vain. Infantry, 
cavalry and artillery join pell mell in the retreat, leaving 
Napoleon to effect his own escape across the fields, accom- 
panied only by his staff, without a battallion with which to 
check the enemy. 

Thus ended one of the most courageously fought battles 
known to history. Whatever else may be said or thought 
of this world-renowned contest, the masters of military 
art are all agreed as to the ultimate cause of Napoleon's 
defeat. Had Grouchy prevented the junction of the 
Prussians under Blucher with those of Wellington, or 
flanked their columns on their retreat from the battle-field 
of Ligny by a lateral pursuit, and thus joined his forces to 



14 

those of the French at the opportune time at Waterloo, in 
all human probability the result would have added an- 
other chaplet to the brow of the all-conquering hero. 

After the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon returned to 
Paris. Those of the French forces who escaped, assembled 
between Laire and Paris. The ministers were called to- 
gether to deliberate on the measures necessary to save the 
country. Napoleon appeared before this council, and 
urged conferring upon him dictorial powers or giving the 
same to the Chambers. But neither plan was adopted, 
and the result was the abdication of Napoleon in favor of 
his son under the title of Napoleon II., Emperor of the 
French. His purpose was to exile himself from Europe 
and come to America, but^ this purpose was thwarted, 
and he was doomed to end his days on the lone island of 
St. Helena. 

It is known to students of history, that there is consid- 
erable diversity of sentiment, as well as of statements, in 
reference to this memorable struggle; and as the forego- 
ing account of the campaign and battle is mainly gleaned 
from French sources, I deem it but just to the Allies to 
give briefly their version of the battle. 

It was on the fifteenth of June that the French troops 
took up their line of march in three columns, which were 
pointed upon Charleroi and its vicinity. Napoleon had 
resolved to occupy Brussels, and his line of advance thus 
lay through the line of cantonments of the Allies. The 
Prussian general rapidly concentrated his forces and on 
the morning of the i6th Blucher was in position at Ligny 
with 80,000 men. Wellington's troops were concentrated 
at Quartre Bras, about nine miles distant. 

On the i6th Napoleon in person attacked Blucher, and 
after a long and obstinate battle defeated him and com- 
pelled the Prussian army to retire toward Wavre. On 



15 

the same day Marshal Ney, with a large part of the French 
army, attacked the -English at Quartre Bras; and, though 
failing to defeat them, succeeded in preventing them from 
sending help to Blucher. 

On the news of Blucher's defeat at Ligny, Wellington, 
having received promise of his assistance, retreated to 
and halted on the seventeenth of June at the memorable 
field of Waterloo. The scene of this celebrated action 
must be familiar either from description or recollection to 
all. I shall only aim at giving a general idea of the main 
features of an event resulting in the discrowning of 
Napoleon and a crowning victory for the Allies. 

When, after a very hard-fought and long-doubtful day, 
Napoleon had succeeded in driving back the Prussian 
army from Ligny, and had resolved on marching himself 
to assail the English, he sent Marshal Grouchy on the 17th 
with 30,000 men to pursue the defeated Prussians and to 
prevent their marching to aid the Duke of Wellington, 

Great criminations passed afterward between the Mar- 
shal and the Emperor as to how this duty was attempted 
to be performed and the reason of its failure. But it may 
be surmised that the failure was not so much the fault of 
Grouchy as the indomitable heroism and perseverence of 
Blucher himself in exposing a part of his army to be over- 
whelmed by Grouchy at Wavre on the 1 8th, while he 
urged the march of the mass of his troops upon Waterloo. 
"It is not at Wavre but at Waterloo," said the Marshal, 
"that the campaign is to be decided." 

It was in full reliance on Blucher's aid that the duke 
stood his ground and fought the battle of Waterloo. The 
strength of the army under Wellington at Waterloo has 
been put at 67,655 men; Napoleon's at 71,947. 

An accurate idea may be gained of the battle-field by 
picturing a valley between two and three miles long, of 
various breadths at different points, but generally not 



16 

exceeding half a mile. On each side of the valley there 
is a winding chain of low hills, running somewhat parallel 
with each other. The declivity from each of these ranges 
of hills to the intervening valley is gentle but not uniform. 
The English occupied the northern, the French the 
southern ridge. The village of Mont St. Jean is situated a 
little behind the center of the northern chain of hills; 
that of La Belle Alliance close behind the center of the 
southern ridge. The road from Charleroi to Brussels 
runs through each of these villages and bisects both the 
English and French positions; that of Wellington was 
strengthened by a village and farm called Mark Branie on 
the extreme right, and on his extreme left by two little 
hamlets. La Haye and Papellote. 

Behind the whole British position was the forest of 
Soignies. In front of the British right was an old 
fashioned farm-house called Hougomont. In front of the 
British center was another farm-house called La Haye 
Sainte, which was held by British troops, and was of 
great importance to them in the progress of the battle. 

The principal feature of the French position, in addition 
to those mentioned, was the village of Planchenoit in the 
rear of their right, and aided them in checking the advance 
of the Prussians. 

The Prussians were on the morning of the i8th at 
Wavre, twelve miles east of Waterloo. Theilman with 
17,006 men was left to defend Grouchy's contemplated 
attack on Wavre, whilst Bulow and Blucher moved toward 
Waterloo and began to appear on Napoleon's right in 
considerable numbers as early as five o'clock P.M. Never 
was the issue of a single battle looked forward to as 
involving consequences of such vast importance, or of such 
universal influence. 

At about half past eleven o'clock Napoleon began the 
battle by attacking Hougomont. After nine hours of 



1^ 

deadly strife, victory perched upon the standard of the 
Allied forces, and the exultant armies of England and 
Prussia were in undisturbed possession of the heights 
lately occupied by their enemies. 

The battle was lost by France past all recovery. The 
loss of the French army in killed and wounded is given at 
18,500, with some 8,000 prisoners taken. The loss of the 
Allies were reported to be over twenty-three thousand in 
killed, wounded and missing. 

Before the return of the Emperor from Elba, death had 
removed the most brilliant of his former Marshals. 
Grouchy, Soult, Davoust and Ney were the most renowned 
of those who espoused his cause after his return. 

Grouchy was given Murat's place in charge of the cavalry. 
After the battle of Waterloo he brought off his corps 
safely, and was given the command of the whole army, 
and arrived at Paris June 29, 181 5. The Bourbons 
intended to have him shot, but he escaped to Philadelphia 
and died in that city in 1847. Soult was exiled and died 
at the age of 82 years, during the reign of Napoleon III, 
After Napoleon left the capital Davoust became provis- 
ional governor, and agreed to the capitulation and sur- 
render of Paris. The saddest fate of all was that of Mar- 
shal Ney, who was shot on the seventh of December, 181 5, 
in Luxemburg. It is said when the officer of the firing 
party saw who it was, he became petrified, but another 
was found to take his place, and the world-renowned war- 
rior fell with six balls in his body and three in the head 
and neck. The forms of law could not be carried out* 
the demands of revenge could be. 

There are on the battle-ground and in the Church and 
church-yard of the village of Waterloo numerous monu- 
ments and tablets of marble to commemorate the deeds 
and designates the resting places of officers and soldiers, 
who fell in that memorable conflict. The most noted of 



18 

these is known as "Lion Mount," a vast accumulation of 
of earth, covering the bones of many that were slain in 
battle, and marks the spot where the Prince of Orange 
was wounded, and near to which was the desperate 
charges of the French cavalry, just before the appearance 
of Blucher with the Prussian legions that determined the 
conflict. On this rises a conical mound two hundred feet 
in height and surmounted with a bronze figure of the 
British lion, with paws overlapping each other, and, sig- 
nificantly enough, his body heading towards France. 

Of this "Child of Destiny," it may be said, that his mili- 
tary achievements have not been surpassed in all the cen- 
turies agone. It is equally true that he wielded this 
power for ambitious, selfish ends, and to the irreparable 
injury, as well of his own, as the other kingdoms devas- 
tated by the tread of his armies. His shameful putting 
away of the Empress Josephine, and his utter disregard of 
every social and moral virtue, brand him as a moral leper, 
whose life and example was only evil, and that continually. 

The gilded dome that has been raised over his sleeping 
dust on the banks of the Seine, in the Church of the 
Invalides, may serve to inspire the looker-on with its 
grandeur and beauty, but it soothes none of the pangs of 
sorrow that he brought to the sons and daughters of his 
native land. 

Perhaps the most enduring monument to his fame and 
greatness will be found in the Code of laws framed by him, 
known as "The Code Napoleon," that is substantially the 
same now in force in France, and most of the states of 
Europe, as also in some of the states of our own country. 
But to the rising generation there is much more of warn- 
ing, in the life and character of this man, than of com- 
mendation and emulation, — 

"Who would soar to such a viewless height, 
To set in ignominous night?" 



19 

And what of France? The darkest, bloodiest chapter 
in the book of time is the slaughter of St. Bartholomew 
on the banks of the Seine. The conspiracy that con- 
ceived and the wickedness that executed this plot, by which 
one hundred thousand of French Hugenots were slain 
because of their religious belief, will go down the passing 
ages as the monster crime known to history. Who does 
not see in this fiendish deed, its legitimate outgrowth in the 
Reign of Terror? the Guillotine, the horrorsof the commune, 
and the deadly inquisition? Yea, more; God's holy day 
has been set at naught, its observance discontinued and 
scoffed at. And from that day forth, it would seem as if the 
avenging angel had been hovering over this delightsome 
land, with bended bow and destructive quivers, crying, 
"How long? O Lord! how long? Wilt thou not avenge 
the death of thy saints? Verily, verily, this people have 
sown to the wind, and are reaping and garnering the 
whirlwind, as their harvest." 



JUL 28 l'J05 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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